Method for making cold-set plug for ceramic honeycomb body

Abstract

Various embodiments provide methods of making ceramic articles and cold-set plugs for ceramic honeycomb bodies. The methods of making ceramic articles include providing a ceramic honeycomb body and applying an aqueous composition to the ceramic honeycomb body to form a cold-set plug. The aqueous composition includes a refractory filler, an inorganic binder, and an organic binder. The refractory filler includes particles having a d 50 ranging from about 10 μm to about 40 μm, a d 10 greater than about 2 μm, and a d 90 less than about 110 μm. Embodiments also provide methods of making the cold-set plug that include preparing the aqueous composition and forming the cold-set plug by applying the composition to the ceramic honeycomb body.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of making a cold-set plug for a ceramic honeycomb body, said method comprising:
 preparing an aqueous composition comprising a refractory filler, an inorganic binder, and an organic binder; and 
 forming a cold-set plug from the composition by applying the composition to the ceramic honeycomb body; 
 wherein the composition is not fired before or after the cold-set plug is formed; 
 wherein the refractory filler comprises particles; and 
 wherein the particles of the refractory filler have a d 50  ranging from about 10 μm to about 40 μm, a d 10  greater than about 2 μm, and a d 90  less than about 110 μm. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the particles of the refractory filler are chosen from particles of cordierite, fused silica, silicates, silica carbide, alumina, alumina titanate, mullite, zirconia, zirconia mullite, and spinel. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inorganic binder is not gelled prior to plugging. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inorganic binder is a colloidal silica that is present in an amount ranging from about 5% to about 20% by weight as a superaddition. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the organic binder is present in the composition in an amount ranging from about 1.0% to about 5.0% by weight. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the organic binder is chosen from methylcellulose, Xanthan gum, actigum, and polyvinyl alcohol. 
     
     
       7. A method of making a ceramic article, said method comprising:
 providing a fired ceramic honeycomb body having a plurality of cell channels; and 
 applying a composition comprising a refractory filler, an inorganic binder, and an organic binder to the ceramic honeycomb body; 
 wherein the composition is not fired before or after application to the ceramic honeycomb body; 
 wherein the refractory filler comprises particles; and 
 wherein the particles of the refractory filler have a d 50  ranging from about 10 μm to about 40 μm, a d 10  greater than about 2 μm, and a d 90  less than about 110 μm. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the particles of the refractory filler are chosen from particles of cordierite, fused silica, silicates, silica carbide, alumina, alumina titanate, mullite, zirconia, zirconia mullite, and spinel. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the inorganic binder is not gelled prior to plugging. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the inorganic binder is a colloidal silica that is present in an amount ranging from about 5% to about 20% by weight as a superaddition. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the organic binder is present in the composition in an amount ranging from about 1.0% to about 5.0% by weight. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the organic binder is chosen from methylcellulose, Xanthan gum, actigum, and polyvinyl alcohol. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the step of applying a composition comprising a refractory filler, an inorganic binder, and an organic binder to the ceramic honeycomb body comprises applying the composition in the form of a plug to at least one cell channel of the fired ceramic honeycomb body,
 wherein the at least one plug has a depth in the cell channel ranging from about 4 mm to about 12 mm, and 
 wherein the at least one plug is substantially free of voids and/or dimples.